Monsoon – Fauxdie’s Review

Taste: I hate dim sum; I really do. However, Monsoon’s dim sum is tolerable for someone who hates eating Asian as much as I do. That is to say, it’s pretty damn good. The American brunch offerings were also pretty good, but this isn’t the best American brunch in town. *7/10*

Drinks: I had hot coffee (Victrola) and ice water– nothing special, but it’s nice to see they serve Victrola. *7/10*

Texture: Dim sum dumplings that aren’t soggy?! Sign me up! The caramelized pineapple texture was pretty good, and the French toast wasn’t soggy, even with syrup. Perfectly prepared pork belly. *9/10*

Prettiness: It didn’t seem like they tried to make things pretty, and there was nothing fancy about the plating. The brunch combo came with a lazy dollop of mustard far too near to my beloved pork belly. *4/10*

Atmosphere: Somewhat minimalistic without going overboard. Not cold, not cozy. *6/10*

Service: It wasn’t all that busy and we waited a pretty long time to get our food. The boyfriend’s food came more than 5 minutes after mine. Poor coursing. The server, however, did comp our coffees. *5/10*

Price: Expensive for dim sum, but good dim sum for the money. I wouldn’t recommend Monsoon just for the American brunch– you can get better brunches for less money elsewhere. *6/10*

Overall: *7/10*

Summary: Well-prepared, consciously-devised food. Very good dim-sum, good American brunch. If you like dim sum and hate driving to Renton, come here. If you’ll only be having American brunch, go elsewhere.